Now, an hour or so before I began - which I began in the Hour of Mercury - I get a message from Kelly saying she saw what looked like a man in a dress go by her as she sat in her living room. She caught the yellowness and looseness of the clothing. I immediately thought of Djinn (thanks Joshua Cutchin for putting that in my head - which is another story altogether). Whatever the case, Kelly's visions of entities seem in direct relation to what I'm doing. If you read the previous Birto post, you'll know why the yellow clothing was important. So this put me in quite a frame of mind.

Consecratio Dei

I had chosen to go with the prayers from The Book of Oberon. Thankfully I had brought a head-lamp with me. I did not however bring a cushion for my knees. That was a mistake. Throughout reading the prayers waves of terror would come over me, and then being strengthened by the words of the prayers, I would be more resolved. I had with me my consecrated Sword of Geburah, just in case. Also the white-handled knife, a Bible, an iron pentacle, and Mercury incense I had put together - cardamom, anise, mastic, cinnamon and bergamot. It was incredibly hot. I was sweating profusely. I went through 4 purification and protection prayers, including Birto's name in the appropriate places. I pronounced it with a Spanish flare: "Beeer-TOH!", as I had learned from Ender's Game and Bonzo. During the prayers I felt a coolness settle. I have no idea if it was paranormal or just a cool breeze that came through. I was in a bell tower after all... By the time the 4th prayer was over, I had to stand up. My knees couldn't take it any longer. I was shaking from the strain of being in that position for that long of time.

Invocatio

There is a short prayer and then a reading of Psalm 54 and calling of Birto. You must do this at least 3 times before making your demand. I did this exactly three times. My knees were so badly shaking from my previous strain I was near exhaustion and blind with sweat. I put some more incense on the coal.

Constrictio & Legatio

I pointed with sword towards Birto's circle as I said the conjuration. It's quite simple in that it contains both the constricting words as well as binding words. I didn't sense anything - no changes. I realized I could continue with the conjurations or I could assume Birto was present. I assumed he was present - it was late and I had to go back to work. In the future I definitely feel plenty of time should be set aside for this - an entire day to focus on nothing but it. I believe Gordon over on Rune Soup had commented this wasn't a lunch break type of thing.

I had two requests - one to do with metal detecting, the other with my podcast and one goal with both of them - financial security to take care of my family.

Licentia

The license to depart is as well contained in the text. I gave it, and then said two more prayers to give whatever may have been present time to depart. They were quite touching prayers, one a prayer to Jesus. I became a bit emotional because I felt that those prayers contained the why of what I was doing:

Because with true longing I desire to learn fully the skills of this life, and those things which are necessary for us, who are immersed in immense darkness and fouled with unending human beliefs, as I see that I can understand nothing through my own power, unless you teach me.

Having done these things I left the space. Before I had felt nothing or seen nothing. It was in dreams that things came, and in the following days activity. So, later, after work I went to bed, and had this seemingly unspectacular dream:

Dream

I had gone to K-Mart. They were closing and having a sale. Much of the merchandise was gone and the store emptied. Terry, this gay guy I use to know was working there. I saw Magic the Gathering cards on the shelf, on sale. They had a Zelda Themed MtG set! I grabbed it. I saw a second. I grabbed something else as well - perhaps another deck. I asked Terry for a price check at the front desk. They were only around $8 a set! It was a steal! I went to look and see what else I could get, but first I had to go to the bathroom.

I return from the bathroom, excited to see what else I could grab, but I couldn't find the items I had already picked. Terry ended up helping me look. As he did, he asked me what I was carrying. Some strange item had just appeared under my arm. It seemed red and round and plastic. I was extremely confused. It had just appeared. I realized something was not right. I had not misplaced my items, they had supernaturally vanished. We continued to look.

Interpretation

Given the previous mage table discussion show with Alexander Eth and Spiro Nidelkos, the symbol of Zelda pertained to questing, specifically for magical tools. And this symbol was embedded in Magic the Gathering.... Terry was someone I use to know, but was also part of my past I rather not face. In the dream he was a K-Mart cashier. I got over it and spoke with him and he even helped me. And then I came to realize there was a supernatural force at play, and a big red thing pops up under my arm. Ok...

On the way too work, I thought of the Dragon from my dream years ago, which as I said I believe now to certainly be a part of this Birto working - again - previous post linked above. As I was driving I thought about the stream I saw in the dream, it's serpentine curves, and then the appearance of the Dragon in the clouds - emerging out of the pattern of the stream below, but just above..... Then it hit me. Kelly and I had visited a stream and she had said she wished to walk the stream - in it one day. We had seen a large water snake that day. I had even previously thought of doing this Birto experiment at that location - and perhaps I should have. The idea was this - take the metal detector and walk that stream.